IOU at 50 Artist in Residence

About the Open Call

IOU invites applications from interdisciplinary artists working in any medium for a unique 6-month live-in artist residency in the creative heart of the South Pennines, UK. This fully funded residency provides space and time to develop creative practice and ideas that respond to the IOU at 50 archive. Artists will have an opportunity to make an artwork or production presented as part of IOU’s celebration of IOU at 50 in 2026, with access to IOU’s Creation Centre studios and workshops, and creative mentorship. The residency offers a 6-month live-in stay at IOU Hostel, Hebden Bridge, with private, self-contained room and shared facilities, alongside access to gardens and woodland trails. Studio, gallery, and workshop access is provided at IOU Creation Centre, Halifax, including pre-bookable use of tools and rehearsal spaces. Mentorship and professional development support, including production planning and fundraising assistance, are part of the offer. A £3,000 production budget is included to develop a new commission, along with a paid role of up to 10 hours per week supporting hostel operations/events at Real Living Wage. The selected artist will develop a new artwork that reinterprets the archive and connects IOU’s heritage to the future of interdisciplinary practice, deliver one creative skills workshop, and present their completed project publicly in September 2026.

What is Offered

A 6-month live-in residency at IOU Hostel, Hebden Bridge, with private accommodation. Access to IOU Creation Centre studios and workshops in Halifax. Creative mentorship and professional development support. A £3,000 production budget for a new commission. A paid part-time role (up to 10 hours/week) supporting hostel operations at Real Living Wage. Opportunity to make and present a new artwork for IOU’s 50th anniversary programme in September 2026.

Requirements

Open to artists working in any discipline (visual, performance, sound, digital, installation, etc.), UK-based or international, at any career stage. Applicants should be interested in experimenting with art, engineering, technology, or environment. Must be able to live and work in the UK for the residency period, comfortable engaging with local communities, organized, adaptable, and open to collaborative processes. Applicants must be able to live full-time at the hostel for the duration (exceptions for agreed breaks). The IOU Hostel is fully vegetarian. Travel to/from the residency is not funded.

How to Apply

Download the Job Description: https://ioutheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IOU-at-50-Artist-in-Residence-Recruitment-Pack.2.pdf. Apply using the Application Form: https://forms.gle/tHHzJRzcKfSMzTgz9. If you have access requirements or wish to apply in another format, please contact lydia.murray@ioutheatre.org.